Metal minnow



Feb. 20, 1934. c. T. PFLUEGER 1,943,005

METAL MINNOW Filed 001;. 51. 1929 INVENTOR (mamas 77 PH 5 0 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 2%, 1934 UNITED T 75.3

1,945,005 METAL Minnow Application October 31, 1929. Serial No. 403,693

9 Claims. (Cl. 43 46 This invention relates to artificial fish lures and more particularly to metal bodied minnows.

Heretofore artificial minnows have been generally constructed of wood which is painted or provided with a metallized surface. The wooden bodied minnow, however, has certain undesirable features which include the susceptibility of the body to damage occasioned by the teeth of the game fish or by striking an obstruction. Allmetal minnows have been made which are not susceptible to ordinary shocks and strains. However, the all-metal minnow has been too heavy for proper casting and trolling and difficulty has been experienced in keeping the minnow upright in the water. Difficulty is moreover often ex- 'perienced in removably attaching hooks, wobbling plates and the like to all-metal minnows.

It is an object of the invention to avoid the above mentioned deficiencies of the wooden and metal minnows while incorporating the desirable features thereof.

Again an object of the invention is the provision of a metal covered wooden minnow of novel form.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved bait wobbling means and hook supporting means.

The above and other objects of the invention are attained by the minnow illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described below, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment thereof described and illustrated.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top view of a minnow embodying 4 the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the minnow shown in Figure l; and

Figure 3 is afront or end view of the minnow shown in Figure 1.

One of the features of the improved form of minnow is that it is made of seamless metal tubing, formed to the shape of a minnow, which has a longer life than previous forms of minnows, and is not subject to cracking or other failures which have been characteristic of metal or metallized portion of the front of .the casing is extended in a snout 4 which, together with the bottom portion, gives an open mouth appearance to "the bait. A disk 5 having a flange 5 which is preferably cupped to form a slight pocket 5*. inrthe disk is secured to the slanted end 3 of the wooden body 1 by suitable means such as wood. screws 6. 'A gang hook '7 .is secured to the minnow. through the agency of a bracket 8, and wood. screws 9 which enter the body 1. Itjwill be obvious that a plurality of gang hooksmay be secured at intervals along: the minnow: if

desired.

The wooden body l.of the minnow ordinarily extends rearwardlyto about the pointlogthusp strengthening the casing while permitting the metalcasing 2 to the rear ofthe wooden body to be tapered and flattened into a tail inwhich holes 11 may be formed for the reception of spinners or other lures, or for attachment of the. hooks. A hook l2is fastened to thetai'l by means of a clevis 13 secured to the tail .by'a screw 1 the clevis being seated in a depression lfijinithe tail by which it is prevented from turning on the screw. A connecting link 15 is preferably provided on the end of the snout 4, to which the line may be attached directly or through spinners or the like, the point of attachment being above the central axis of the bait.

In the operation of the bait, water impinging on the disk 5 will be deflected therefrom up into the hollow snout 4 from where it will escape at either side to give a wobbling, natural fishlike motion to the bait. The metal covered wooden body forms a bait that is much less likely to soar, split or the like than a wooden bait while keeping the weight of the lure within a desired range. The wooden body also serves to receive wood screws which are the simplest and best means for removably attaching hooks, g5 disks, etc. The wooden body gives a desirable buoyancy to the forward end of the bait which keeps the minnow upright in the water, in the position shown in Figure 2. It is possible, however, to omit the wooden body, the disk being used in such cases to seal the front end thereof. The metal casing of the minnow may be painted, however it is preferably nickel-plated which gives luster to the bait.

It will be apparent that various modifications of the invention can be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an artificial minnow, a shaped wooden 11o body, a metal casing surrounding and supported by said body, the front end of said body slanting rearwardly and upwardly, ,the lower front portion of said casing conforming ,with said'body, the upper front portion of said casing extending forwardly in a hollow snout to form an open mouth, a metal disk'iover the slanting front end of said body, said disk extending up into said hollow snout and also having a flange extending outwardly of the front bottom portion of said casing and body, the back end of said wooden body terminating short of the end of the casing, said casing being flattened to form a tail, a hook attached to said tail, a hook attached to said wooden body through said casing, and means on the forward part of said snout for connecting the bait to a line.

2. In an artificial minnow, a shaped wooden body, a metal casing surrounding and supported by said body, the front end of,said body slanting rearwardly and upwardly, the lower front portion of said casing conforming with said body, the upper front portion of said casing extending forwardly in a hollow snout to form an open mouth, a metal disk over the slanting front end of said body, said disk extending up into said hollow snout and also having a flange extending outwardly of the front bottom portion of said casing and body, a hook attached to said bait; and means on the forward part of said snout for connecting the bait to a line.

3. In an artificial minnow, a shaped wooden body, a metal casing surrounding and supported by said body, the front end of said body slanting rearwardly and upwardly, the lower front portion of said casing conforming with said body, the upper front portion of said casing extending forwardly in a hollow snout to form an open mouth, the back. end of said wooden body terminating short of the end of the casing, said casing being flattened to form a tail, a hook attached to said tail, a hook attached to said wooden body through said Teasing, and -rheans for connecting the cant a line.

1 f4, In an artificial minnow, a shaped wooden body, a metal casing surrounding and support- 'e'd by said body, the front end of said body slanting rearwardly and upwardly, the lower front portion of said casing conforming with said body, the upper front portion of said casing extending forwardly in a hollow snout to form an open mouth, a hook attached to said bait, and means for connecting the bait to a line.

5. In an artificial minnow, a body, the front end of said body being cut back on an angle with the vertical, a hollow metallic snout extending forwardly from the upper portion of the front end of said body to give an open mouth appearance to the bait, a metal disk over the slanting front end of said body, said disk extending up into said hollow snout and also having a flange extending outwardly of the bottom portion of said body, and hooks on said body.

6. An artificial bait comprising a solidwooden body, a metal cover over the body, and a hook attached to the bait, said metal cover having an integral portion extending forwardly of the body in the form of a hollow snout, the rear portion of the cover being flattened to form a tail.

7. An artificial bait comprising a closed metal, body, and a pendulous hook attached to the: body, said body having an extension in front of the bait to form a hollow snout, the rear portion of the body being flattened to form a tail.

8. A minnow having a flattened tail portion, a depression in the tail portion, a clevis seated. in the depression, and a hook carried by the clevis.

9. An artificial bait comprising a unitary tubular metal cover open at its forward end and tapered to form a closed tail, and a body of lighter material positioned locally in the open forward end portion of the bait.

CHARLES T. PFLUEGER. 

